Description
Spitfires of the sky. There is something truly magical in the way the Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) flies. They rule their turf with voracity, chasing away threats of all sizes during breeding time. When the male was feeding the fledglings in the nest, the only way I knew when to start photographing was to look out for his incoming shadow on the wall. At that moment, I would press the shutter and hope for the best. Unlike the female Malachite, who would fly to the nest and then spend some time doing a bit of maintenance, he was in and out in a flash. Once he had delivered his spoils, he was quickly back at his guard tower or off to find more provisions.
Their flight is fast and direct, thanks to their short wings. Sunbirds have counterparts in two very distantly related groups: the hummingbirds of the Americas and the honeyeaters of Australia. The resemblances are due to convergent evolution brought about by a similar nectar-feeding lifestyle.
PRINT#91B
Paper Print (Archival – Matt Texture)
Landscape Format:
A3 420 x 297mm Print Code J – R
A2 594 x 420mm Print Code K – R
A1 841 x 594mm Print Code L – R